1/10/2013 Thursday January 10, 2013

6:15am - Joint mobility drills - 30 minutes

6:45am - Kettlebell warm up ("Standard")

1/2K halos - 8kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)
1/2K pullover - 12 kg, 5X each leg

1/2K halos - 12kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)

1/2K pullover - 16 kg, 5X each leg
Roll to press (TGU start) - shoulder cam shafts, each arm

7:00am - Training session with Ross - Focus on single and DB SL DL, DB SW

Warm up -

The following combination was done for 1X:

DB DL 44 kg, 5, 1H alternating, 5 L/R (PR for the DL)
TGU 20kg, 1 L/R
DB BU Sq 16 kg, 2
DB TK SSPR with 16kg, 5

The following combination was done for 1X:

DB DL 44 kg, 5, 1H alternating, 5 L/R
TGU 24kg, 1 L/R
DB BU Sq 20 kg, 2 (PR for DB BU Sq)
DB TK SSPR with 16kg, 5 L/R

We then worked on 1H and DB SL DL techniques with the 12 kg bells.
Combinations essentially of 3-5 reps each leg with 12s.  The focus was on a straight back leg, really stretching to engage the glute on the stretching leg side, as well as keeping elbows straight and shoulders locked in with lats engaged  (DL position).  We introduced the 1H which I liked.  We used 16s last week and that felt like too much weight.

The following combination was done for 3X, with the 1H single leg deads intermixed between each set:
DB SW 24kg, 7

The finisher was:

1H SW 32 kg, 2X 5 L/R

8:15am - Complete

Notes -
DB SW with 24s felt very very good.  I should stalk DB 28s because I believe I am there to try this.  Going to do that next time.

Ross gave me some tips on the 1H SW with the 32s.  Need to get that hip hinge, snap, and keep shoulders straight with the bell in the floating position.  I'll work down with the 28 and get better form, and just do 1-2 reps with the 32s.

1/9/2013 Wednesday January 9, 2013

6:15am - Joint mobility drills - 30 minutes

6:45am - Kettlebell warm up ("Standard")

1/2K halos - 8kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)
1/2K pullover - 12 kg, 5X each leg

1/2K halos - 12kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)

1/2K pullover - 16 kg, 5X each leg
Roll to press (TGU start) - shoulder cam shafts, each arm

7:00am - Training session - Focus on TGUs, but warm up with Windmills to get feel

Warm up -
The following was done in combination for 2X:
Tall kneeling 1H press with 20 kg, 5 each arm - significant emphasis on firing lats and slow negatives
Windmills with 16 kg, 1, 20 kg, 1 (first time with 20kg)

TGUs (all done with each arm back to back with no rest between arms):

20 kg, 1
24 kg, 1
28 kg, 1

7:30am - Complete

Notes - Had a full body massage the previous afternoon which was very helpful to work out some elbow, forearm and oblique (psoas right side) stuff.  However our son was up all night sick and so I got started late and was very tired.  The TGUs with the 24 and 28 felt very heavy and forced me to really focus on technique.  I wanted to get multiple reps today with each bell on the TGUs without setting the bell down, but in the physical state I was in, that didn't make sense and I backed off.

The Windmills felt extremely good and I liked the heavier weight with the 20kg.  I believe the full body massage helped provide a little more flexibility in the hips which I took advantage of.

1/8/2013 Tuesday January 8, 2013

5:45am - Joint mobility drills - 30 minutes

6:15 - Kettlebell warm up ("Standard")

1/2K halos - 8kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)
1/2K pullover - 12 kg, 5X each leg

1/2K halos - 12kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)

1/2K pullover - 16 kg, 5X each leg
Roll to press (TGU start) - shoulder cam shafts, each arm

6:30am - Training session - Focus on Snatches with 16kg, 20 kg, and add in some laddering

Warm up -
GSq, 20kg and 24kg, 5,
DB DLs 32 kg, 5, ALT 1H DL, 5 each arm
DB TK SS PR with 16kg, 5

The following was done for a warm up to snatches:
1H SW 20 kg, 5 L/R
1H HP 20 kg, 5 L/R
1H SW 24 kg, 5 L/R
1H SW 32 kg, 5 L/R (most I have ever done of these at 32 kg)
1H HP 24 kg, 5 L/R (had never HP'd with the 24)

Snatches:
1H SN 16 kg, 5 L/R, 4 L/R ,3 L/R ,2 L/R ,1 L/R (without setting down the bell)


1H SN 20 kg, 5 L/R, 4 L/R ,3 L/R ,2 L/R ,1 L/R (without setting down the bell)

1H SN 16 kg, 5 L/R, 4 L/R ,3 L/R ,2 L/R ,1 L/R (without setting down the bell)

Between each snatch set - weighted DB SL DL with 16 kgs, 2 each leg

Finisher -
Heavy CL with 32 kg, 2 each arm
1H SW 32 kg, 5 L/R
2H SW with 32 kg, 2X (10)

7:30am - Complete

Notes - Really good training session.

The 20 kg snatches absolutely smoked me, totally gassed.  For my last  set back with the 16s, however, those felt light.  Have to keep working the 20s.  The 5,4,3,2,1 ladder scheme working back and forth between L/R without setting down the bell was something I really liked for snatches.

Really like 1H SW with the 32s as well.  Really have to snap hips and keep the lat engaged as the bell floats up.

1/7/2013 Monday January 7, 2013

5:30am - Joint mobility drills - 30 minutes

6:15 - Kettlebell warm up ("Standard")
1/2K halos - 8kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)
1/2K pullover - 12 kg, 5X each leg

1/2K halos - 12kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)

1/2K pullover - 16 kg, 5X each leg
Roll to press (TGU start) - shoulder cam shafts, each arm

6:30am - Training session - Focus on C&P with 28kg

Warm up -
GSq, 20kg and 28kg, 5,
DB DLs 32 kg, 5, ALT 1H DL, 5 each arm
DB TK SS PR with 16kg, 5

C&P with 28 kg - 4X (1, 2, 3) (clean bell between every rep)
Between each set - BU PR with 20 kg, singles each arm

Finisher -
Heavy CL with 32 kg, 1 each arm
1H SW with 32 kg, 5 each arm
2H SW with 32 kg, 10

7:15am - Complete

Notes - After this training session I feel ready to add the 4 ladder on the send of each set to go to 4X (1,2,3,4).  Had plenty left in the tank today.  Single resses with 32 were easier as well, though it didn't seem like I could get another rep out of the left arm.  I tried and stalled out.  Didn't try with the right as a result just to keep it balanced.

Also really liked the 1H SW with the 32.  Really have to keep the lats engaged with the heavy bell.  It felt good.  After this the 2H SW with the 32 was so light it was almost comical.  I am going to keep doing heavy 1H SW with the 32 as much as possible.

1/4/2013 Friday January 4, 2013

6:25am - Joint mobility drills - 30 minutes

6:55am - Kettlebell warm up ("Standard")

1/2K halos - 8kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)
1/2K pullover - 12 kg, 5X each leg

1/2K halos - 12kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)

1/2K pullover - 16 kg, 5X each leg
Roll to press (TGU start) - shoulder cam shafts, each arm

7:10am - Training session - Focus on DB C&P with 24kg

Warm up -

GSq, 24kg , 5,
DB DLs 32 kg, 5, ALT 1H DL, 5 each arm
TK DB PR with 16kg, 5

DB C&P with 24kg, 3X (1,2,3,4,5), cleaning bell between each rep

Between each C&P set - DB Sq with 16kg, 5X

Finisher -
Hike and park with 32 kg, 3 each arm (warm up for C&P)
C&P with 32 kg, 1 each arm (equals PR set one week ago)
2H SW with 32 kg, 1X (10)


7:55am - Complete

Notes -
DB C&P felt solid, but challenging due to PPR training yesterday with Ross.  This limited the number of sets (I wanted 5 sets, but quickly determined that 3 sets with extremely good technique was going to be fine).  Further, since going to doing CLs between each rep the last several weeks (previously was doing MPs for DB PR, only cleaning to start each ladder), incorporating a CL for each rep significantly increases fatigue.

Focused on good CLs and trying to press straight up from shoulders and pressing feet into ground (looking to find that "column" feeling).  The last rep in each ladder (5) was tough but form was good and lockout was achieved. 

After completing the DB C&P felt fine to try a single C&P with the 32.  Nailed both arms and each was easier than the PR achieved last week doing the same lift.  I will try to add 1 rep and get 2 on each arm a week from now.  It is clear I have 2 reps in the R arm but not certain about L, particularly with fatigue at the end of a training session.

RKC Exercise Notations (courtesy of Ross Meyer, RKC)

I asked my good friend and mentor, Ross Meyer RKC, to provide me feedback on this blog as well as advising me on "proper" nomenclature for kettlebell exercises.  I have copied the information he provided on exercise notations (abbreviated shorthand) here.  I am using these abbreviations in my training logs.

Here are the short hand notations for our exercises so far:

1H - one hand

SL - single leg

DB - double bell

2H - two hand (usually two hands on one bell, e.g. 2H SW)

BU - bottoms-up

ALT - alternating (e.g ALT 1H DL)

OH - overhead

TK - tall kneeling

1/2K - half kneeling

1/2K-op - half kneeling open (flexed hip adducted to 90 degrees)

DL - deadlift

suit.DL - suitcase DL

SW - swing

DARC- alternating 1H swing with a release and catch at the transition

HP - high pull

LP - low pull

SQ - squat

GSq - goblet squat

FS - front squat

CL - clean

PR - press, aka overhead or military press

C&P - clean & press

C&J - clean & jerk

PPR - push press

SN - snatch

TGU - Turkish getup

LGU - little getup (TGU to elbow or hand)

P-U - pushup (hyphen is horizontal, like body position in pushup)

P/U - pullup (slash is vertical, like body position in pullup)

P-C - pull - catch

P-C-P - pull - catch - press

P-C-Sq - pull - catch - squat

i.club - indian club

1/3/2013 Thursday January 3, 2013

6:15am - Joint mobility drills - 30 minutes

6:45am - Kettlebell warm up ("Standard")

1/2K halos - 8kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)
1/2K pullover - 12 kg, 5X each leg

1/2K halos - 12kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)

1/2K pullover - 16 kg, 5X each leg
Roll to press (TGU start) - shoulder cam shafts, each arm

7:15am - Training session with Ross - Focus on DB SL DL, PPR, DB SW

Warm up -
TGU 20kg, single each arm
DB DL 36 kg, 5, 1H alternating, 5 each arm
DB BU Sq 16 kg, 2
TK SSPR with 16kg, 5 each arm

The following combination was done for 1X:
DB SW 20kg, 5
PPR 20kg, 5 each arm

We then worked on DB SL DL techniques with the 16 kg and 12 kg bells.
Combinations essentially of 3 reps each leg with 16s, then 2 with 12s, back to 3 with 16s.  The focus was on a straight back leg, really stretching to engage the glute on the stretching leg side, as well as keeping elbows straight and shoulders locked in with lats engaged  (DL position).


The following combination was done for 3X, with the single leg deads intermixed between each set:
DB SW 24kg, 5
PPR 24kg, 5 each arm was the goal (it ended up being 5, 4, 3)


8:15am - Complete

Notes -
DB SW with 24s felt very very good.  I should stalk DB 28s because I believe I am there to try this.

The SL DLs were good.  Need to reinforce keeping a flat back and really look to fire the glute on the stretching leg hard.

The PPR needs work.  Felt fatigued on the 24s and the hips were not driving the bell enough.  I need to drop a bell size to the 20kg and really hone technique, then back up to the 24.  Doing DB SW with 28s should help make the 20kg feel "light" on the PPR.